9 sleeps and a new look!!!

A new look!  My girlfriend dropped in today to give me some cool cherry fabric.  It was supposed to be part of the Gumnuts kris kringle gift but it was ordered online and took longer than expected to arrive.  I certainly didn't mind getting it late - I love it.  In fact, I thought I would try it out as my background for the blog!  What do you think?  A cheery cherry background for the Cherry Red Quilter!!! (and I am secretly delighted that I actually worked out how to do it!!!)

Baking for today was a new recipe!  I wish this was a scatch and sniff photo - these cookies have ginger and golden syrup in them and they smell divine!  These will be another cookie to go into my cookie tins that I am giving away to a few special people next week!

MUESLI COOKIES

225g (1 ½ cups) muesli

150g (1 cup) plain flour

85g (1cup) desiccated coconut

75g (1/2 cup) craisins

100g (1/2 cup) caster sugar

55g (1/4 cup) firmly packed brown sugar

1 ½ teasp ground ginger

125g butter, chopped

60mls (1/4 cup) golden syrup

1 tabsp water

1 teasp bicarb soda

Preheat oven to 160ºC.  Line two baking trays with non-stick paper.  Combine muesli, flour, coconut, craisins, caster sugar, brown sugar and ginger in a large bowl.  Melt together butter, golden syrup and water in a saucepan over low heat.  Cook stirring for 5 minutes or until butter melts and mixture is combined.  Remove from heat.  Add bicarb soda and stir until just combined.  Add muesli mix and stir.  Roll tablespoons of mix into balls and place on trays, allowing room for spreading.  Flatten to 1cm thick.  Bake in preheated oven, swapping trays halfway thru cooking, for twenty minutes or until brown and crisp.  Leave on trays for five minutes before transferring to wire rack to cool completely.

My sewing for today culminated in me finishing off these little bookmarks and my second technical achievement for the day was working out how to crop these pictures 

These are going to two gorgeous girls, daughters of one of my oldest friends.  One of the girls is my goddaughter.

I really like these too - I definitely have to make some more!

Don't forget the winner of my giveaway and most of the other Blog Hop Party Giveaways are being drawn tomorrow so you need to hurry up and check them out if you haven't already.  You can see mine here - just leave a comment on that post to enter and you can check out the list of all the other blogs here.

Till next time...............happy stitching!

Oh my gosh 11 sleeps to go........

Eleven sleeps till the big elf himself does his magical stuff.  Hope there are a few little elves to do a little magic before then as I could use a little help, though I would settle for a few days smooth days with no unexpected disruptions!

Now long ago I told you that I received a parcel from Celia containing a heap of blocks sewn by Celia and her friend Jennifer.  Also included in the parcel were 6 lovely lined draw string bags for our six girly soldiers in Afghanistan.  You can check it all out here if you like.  Well today I finally packaged up all the bags and send them off.  The goodies were mostly for the five new girls that we haven't sent anything to yet - lip balm, hand cream, wet wipes, nice soap, notebook and other bits.  I also included some Freddo Frogs for our original girlie to share with the others too.  Here they are all packed and ready to go.

 The five bags fitted in nicely side by side, with our original girlie's bag sitting on top.

Thanks Celia - I think the girls are going to love them and they will be delighted by the surprise.

Last night I showed you some bookmarks I am working on and some of you asked if I had designed them myself.  I WISH!!  No, in fact I went to my go to reference books - my collection of ART TO HEART books and this one in particular.

 They are full of gorgeous items to make for yourself and for gifts.  Love them!  Here you can see their version of the bookmarks.

 And here are my brighter versions - still under construction.

I had lots of bits to do today.  First up I finished sewing Celia's blocks for our monthly swap - can't show you yet as she hasn't seen them.  Each month we have been swapping four blocks and an extra along with the Rainbow Scrap Challenge.  I send her four 5 inch stars and a hexagon flower and Celia sends me 5 crumb blocks and a cute stitchery.  As this was the last swap for this year I included a Christmas present too (which I also finished this morning) and a little something for a cute little girl - no hints but I will fill you in when it has been received.

I also finished off my Santa ornament - would make a good gift tag too!

 Once all the sewing was done I parceled up all my interstate and international bits that needed to go into the mail - Christmas and birthday presents for my family and my husband's and a few things for overseas, including the Aussie girlies box.  I dragged my Guitar Hero out of bed after 1pm and he showered and came to the post office with me - two armloads each!

Finally home to pack up my gear for my last fortnightly sewing class of the year.  No sewing again but this time I cut out the BOM for the LQS where the classes are held.  I was a bit behind so I cut out the blocks for October, November and the last is Dec/Jan.  I have been making two versions of each block - hot pink/orange/yellow and white and a red and white version.  Tonight I didn't cut out the red and white version - I decided that I need more shades - I only seem to have a light, lots of darks and a few mediums.  I need more variation before I cut the red blocks out.

The response to the Blog Hop Party has been great.  I have been systematically checking out as many of the blog give aways as I can and, as much as I don't want more competition for the ones I have entered, you just have to get along and check them all out.   They are all listed here!  There are lots of really generous bloggers out there.

You have until the 17th to enter most of them so get along and don't forger to comment here if you would like a chance to win these!

Warning - surprise included in the draw!

I am blown away by the number of  people who have decided to become followers after finding my blog via the giveaway.  I am delighted you think my blog is worth returning to.  What a compliment.  I am planning a thankyou giveaway in the New Year for followers only to show my appreciation!  So, stay tuned!

Till next time.......happy stitching!

Bookmarks, Ornaments and G'day and welcome!

I don't seem to have much to show for today but I did get a lot done.  First up I managed to layer and pin my brown disappearing nine patch quilt.  I am hoping to quilt it on Thursday.  It has to be completed by the 20th.    Quilt it Thursday, bind it Friday - that's the plan!

I also managed to complete the rest of the ornaments that I showed you yesterday.  

Next it was off for a haircut and then I dropped in on a fellow Gumnut, Irene, to deliver a cute Christmas train set for her to show her grandbabies.  This was a lucky spur of the moment purchase when we lived in the States when ,y boys were little and they loved it.  They still like it but these days I lend it to Grandmothers  (that I trust to keep it safely) each year so they can enjoy with their grandbabies.  I actually have a video of it working but I don't know how to upload it into my blog!  As the train goes around it flips the track and turns the turnstiles etc.  Very cute!

I also took along these none patches made by a lovely lady called Jennifer ( non blogger) to go in a quilt for one of our Aussie girls in Afghanistan.  

We decided that we need to make 9 more 9 patches to have enough to put on point with plain squares to make a quilt.  Irene generously volunteered to make the extra 9 blocks.

Then it was up to the quilt shop to buy some fabric to bind both of the quilts I need to bind on Friday and then home to sew.

This is what I was working on for most of the rest of the day - bookmarks for three special people.  I still need to finish the applique and then add the backing.  

 And two more ornaments, also gifts!  I love making these things - don't know why I don't do it more often!

Santa still needs some finishing!

I hope you have all been checking out all the wonderful blogs having giveaways in association with the Quilters Gallery Blog Hop Party  - there are about 250 blogs registered here and there are lots of really generous giveaways!  You really should check them out.  I have been trying to check out as many as I could that's for sure!   Don't forget to check out my giveaway too.

And before I go - a very big G'day to all my new followers.  Great to have you.  Hope you will come back regularly as I love sharing what I am doing with all of you and getting your feedback.  I think I will have to have another giveaway after Christmas to celebrate!

Till next time...............happy stitching!